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Thank you to everybody for your enthusiasm, help and support for the May Fair.

The children look forward so much to the form stalls, and all the work which goes on behind the scenes, helped by rotas of parent volunteers and teachers, is very much appreciated. The stalls looked so inviting, with their beautifully decorated gazebos, and the new cafe area on the grass, bordered by the BBQ and Pimms stands, provided a popular focal point to enjoy the atmosphere and the sunshine.

The variety and quality of commercial stalls in the courtyard, hall and gym gets better each year and the busy trading in Bramley Village Hall contributed substantially to this year’s fund raising.

The form stalls, together with the earnings from Refreshments and Cakes, the BBQ, and the Pimms stand, made a superb contribution of £2,794 to the overall grand total for this year’s fair of £4,062. Fantastic - thank you everyone!

Parent Practice
Over 75 people attended the parenting skills talk held on 4th June and learnt a number of strategies to inspire self confidence in their children. The talk was well-prepared, thought provoking and engaging and was packed with good ideas to use straight away. For anyone who was unable to attend the talk, The Parent Practice run regular workshops and classes and have published a number of booklets which can be obtained online at The Parent Practice.


Spring Newsletter
After the excitement of the Christmas term, class reps started the new year in as busy mode as ever organising their parents’ social lives. I have heard mention of camping trips for Dads and daughters, cooking demonstrations, pamper evenings and karaoke nights, all designed to have lots of fun, dispel the wintry gloom and affirm the relationships our children are making in their year groups. Mention should also be made of the Quiz Night on 6th March, which sold out in a matter of days and promises to be a fun-filled night. Thank you to class reps for promoting and organising this event and good luck to all the contestants.

For the children this term, the PTA will be organising the Easter Bunny Hunt on Wednesday 25th March - fluffy, sparkly rabbit ears a must for the PTA photographer who will be on duty capturing all the thrills of the day.

Photos currently on display on the PTA notice-board next to the library relate to the Children’s Christmas Fair which was hugely enjoyed by children, teachers and PTA reps alike and which, thanks to your gift donations, raised a fantastic £1,100. Santa’s grotto is particularly deserving of mention as comments were received that it was indeed ‘better than Lapland’ and my thanks go to all of Santa’s helpers at this and all of the PTA events held last term.
Some of the PTA reps on the day of the Bunny Hunt and the Form I girls enjoying receiving their reward
Some of the PTA reps on the day of the Bunny Hunt and the Form I girls enjoying receiving their reward
These included the: Form I and Lower II Disco - lasting memories of which will undoubtedly be some very high energy dance routines and the 80-strong Conga dancing round the school hall.
Winter Clothes and Skiwear Sale - parents kindly donated good quality second hand clothing and some also took advantage of the opportunity to sell more expensive items and generously gave 50 percent of the sale price to PTA funds. This raised a total of £466 so well worth doing as were the Spring Flowering Bulbs and Gift-Wrap Sales which raised £293 and £731 respectively.
Watercolour Courses - mornings of pure escapism as artistic techniques and tips were learned and practised in the very conducive surroundings of Whipley Manor Art Studio.

The next major event in the PTA calendar is the May Fair on Saturday May 9th. For now, please just make a note of the date as you really will not want to miss it. It’s on Saturday 9th May from 10am till 1pm!! New stalls are being planned for your enjoyment on the day but as ever we will be asking for your support in advance. Please look out for pleas from your class reps for donations of books, DVDs and summer clothing. Please hold onto anything you might be thinking of discarding and save it all for the May Fair.
Hunting those Bunny discs - only a certain colour will be counted
Hunting those Bunny discs - only a certain colour will be counted
The Yellow Moon Spring 2009 fund raising catalogue has been sent home. Please take a few moments to browse through it, choose a few items to keep your children entertained over the Easter holidays and using the unique source code on the reverse of the catalogue place your order direct with Yellow Moon. For every purchase you make we will receive up to 25% cash-back. You know your children would love nothing more than to create some lovely little Easter gifts for your friends and family so please, be inspired here, and help PTA funds in the process!

Also in shopping mode, I expect so many more parents could have been using our Internet Shopping Gateway for their on-line shopping. Here is a reminder that this is the easiest way in the world to contribute to PTA funds. When you are ordering goods on-line from certain retailers (eg. Littlewoods, Game, ASDA, Amazon, Next, various holiday and car hire companies) just enter their web-site by first going to www.buy.at/stcatherinesbramley and the PTA will receive the percentage shown of your order. Add the address to your favourites and try it today before you forget………

Last but not least a big thank you to the ladies who do such a great job in the Second Hand Uniform Shop. Their weekly commitment enables families to sell and buy uniform and directly benefits PTA funds.

You may have noticed the two lovely new clocks around the school, which it was a pleasure to purchase with PTA funds last term. The PE and Drama departments were also really pleased with their new gym mats and video camera. Over the coming months, the PTA will start to be involved in purchasing some larger items, which the children will be able to use straight away, and more excitingly, in the brand new buildings, which will hopefully start to be built before the end of the current academic year.

Thank you to everyone who supports the PTA and all its activities and my best wishes for the rest of this term,

PTA Chair
The lucky winner of the Northbrook Gift Wrap Bear
The lucky winner of the Northbrook Gift Wrap Bear
OUTDOOR GARDEN PROJECT
New play equipment is being added to the school grounds for all age groups. PPI are enjoying the new playframe in the Pre Prep garden. Musical instrumental and the stage have arrived in the woods. Recent arrivals include a playhouse made out of beautiful redwood, copper speaking tubes wrapped around the PE hut, toadstool-styled tables and chairs and much more.

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to all our parents who, through their support of PTA events, have enabled the PTA to fund the super new equipment.